Boehringer Ingelheim chair Shashank Deshpande warned that Europe’s drug pricing rules could cede pharmaceutical leadership to the United States and, increasingly, China. He cited the company’s lung‑cancer therapy Hernexeos, launched in the US, China and Japan but barred from European reimbursement because public health systems cannot meet price expectations. The comment follows broader industry anxiety about funding gaps for innovative medicines.

The group also unveiled late‑stage data for its obesity candidate survodutide, licensed from Zealand Pharma. In a 76‑week study, patients lost an average of 16.6% body weight, versus 3.2% on placebo, and showed reductions in waist circumference and liver fat. Deshpande highlighted the drug’s dual GLP‑1 and glucagon agonism as unmatched outside China, positioning it against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.

Boehringer reported €27.8bn in sales last year across human and animal health, underscoring the scale at risk if European payers tighten budgets. Investors may view the pricing dispute as a catalyst for policy reform, yet immediate pressure remains on companies to secure reimbursement pathways. Without change, Europe could lose access to breakthrough therapies already available elsewhere in the near term.